Don Cheadle Set to Produce and Star in Film about Wall Street’s First Black Millionaire

Thanks to Don Cheadle, the story of Wall Street’s first black millionaire will get the recognition it deserves. The Golden Globe-winning actor is said to not only star in the film but also serve as a producer.

The film will be an adaptation of Shane White’s 2015 book Prince of Darkness: The Untold Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street’s First Black Millionaire. The book tells the obscure story of Hamilton, who migrated from Haiti to New York in the 19th century, becoming a broker and land agent. Breaking many taboos, Hamilton rebelled against the rules of the time, including marrying a white woman and owning railroad stock, although he wasn’t legally allowed to ride. By the time of his death in 1875, Hamilton amassed a $2 million fortune, which led obits at the time to call him the richest black man in America.

White’s book was awarded the Society of Historians of the Early American Republic’s best book prize and the 2016 New York City Book Award, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Cheadle will be teaming up with Steve Baigelman, who collaborated with Cheadle on 2015’s Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead. Cheadle is perhaps best known for his role as superhero James Rhodes/War Machine in Iron Man, Avengers, and Captain America movies. In addition to his well-known movie roles, Cheadle’s role on Showtime’s House of Lies has earned the actor multiple Emmy nominations.